The 16th-largest city and still growing rapidly, Fort Worth is a destination redefined. New and renovated hotel offerings, restaurants and exciting tourism attractions are enhancing the City's reputation as one of the premier travel destinations in the nation. More

The 16th-largest city and still growing rapidly, Fort Worth is a destination redefined. New and renovated hotel offerings, restaurants and exciting tourism attractions are enhancing the City's reputation as one of the premier travel destinations in the nation. More

Mayors launch e-mail campaign to fight hunger

The mayors of Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington are using email and social networking to mobilize North Texans to win Walmart's Facebook challenge to fight hunger.

Walmart's "fighting hunger together" challenge will provide $1.5 million to food banks and a Facebook vote will determine which cities get those funds. Food banks in the community with the most "Likes" will get $1 million. The next five highest ranking communities will get $100,000 each.

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck today emailed a letter with a link to Walmart's "fighting hunger together" web page asking people to click on "Like" for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area. The mayors are then asking North Texans to post the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington link on their own Facebook page, and then forward the letter to family and friends.

"This is something that takes less than 15 seconds to do and yet, if we win this challenge, can do so much good in North Texas," said Mayor Leppert.

"North Texas is known for both its generosity and for rising to the challenge," said Mayor Moncrief. "I know we can get this done."

The mayors are also asking businesses to forward the email to their employees.

They hope houses of worship, neighborhood associations and parent-teacher groups will send it to their members too. The mayors hope other elected leaders in North Texas will join in the effort as well.

"This is really taking the power of social networking and using it to celebrate the spirit of giving," said Mayor Cluck. "I am confident North Texas will respond by the thousands."

According to the North Texas Food Bank, Texas has the second worst rate of childhood hunger in the nation and one in four children in Texas are at risk for hunger.

Two of the major food banks in the region, the North Texas Food Bank and Tarrant Area Food Bank serve 25 counties in the region. If North Texas wins, the money would help support thousands of food pantries and food distribution sites.